Or Closing in on 600

I went to ECCC for a few reasons. The main one was to hang with RonnyLama, Lee K., Shivabali, and Surfer 99. The other was to get some books signed. Not just any books, but one of my favorite series of books. When my first LCS turned me onto back issues, I scrounged to buy the Daredevil Miller years. A few of those greatest issues being 158, 168 (more on this later), and 181 were on the wall around the store. This location is where I drooled the most and found the greatest work that Art Adams ever did after the New Mutants Special Edition.

Over the next few weeks, I purchased the Longshot limited series, buying them and reading them out of order. At the age I was, my finances were limited and I bought what was attainable. I was fortunate that no one else purchased these issues, or maybe he just had multiple copies that he was selling above cover price. I think I paid $5.50 for issue #5 and a whopping $8 for issue #6. The books were hung on the wall, safely snuggled inside a Mylar bag. A bag I have had them in for over twenty years, only removing them to read, not only the first time but many years after that.

I decided to grade them myself before I sent them in to CGC. What I graded them at are as follows, along with the final CGC grades.

Longshot #1: 9.4 CGC : 9.6

Longshot #2: 9.4(9.2) CGC : 9.6

Longshot #3: 9.6. CGC : 9.6

Longshot #4: 9.4. CGC : 9.8

Longshot #5: 9.6 CGC : 9.4

Longshot #6: 9.4. CGC : 9.6

I am shocked. I never thought any of them would ever get a 9.8, and yet issue four made it. I only hit the mark once. On four I was harsher than CGC and only on issue five did I think it was better.

None of these books were pressed and now I have to wonder, if they were, would that increase all of them? I do know pressing will not improve every book and possibly may even damage them, so this is nothing short of amazing since I continued to handle and read these over the years.

The other tidbit is, I also cracked my 9.8's. I delicately handled them and even though the invoice with these was marked graded before the ones I just listed, I am still waiting, and worried. Currently it is still under the graded status. I don't understand how my invoice for the 9.8's was passed by for another one of my invoices. I'm more worried about these, since I am hoping that they retain their 9.8 grades. Now I just have to wait until UPS delivers my newly graded original copies. One down, three to go...NYSE here I come.

Thanks for Reading

Tnerb

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